Lei Jun, Xiaomi CEO, introduced today the Redmi Note 7 – the first phone that’s part of the new Redmi sub-brand. The phone has a 48 MP camera with Sony IMX586 sensor, Snapdragon 660 chipset, massive screen and battery, while costing just CNY999 ($150).The 6.3” LCD comes with a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera and Gorilla Glass on top. The resolution is Full HD+ and Redmi quotes a screen-to-body ratio of 84%. The Qualcomm chipset might be a bit old, but it’s still plenty fast and its CPU runs at 2.2 GHz. There are three memory combos for the Redmi Note 7 – 3/32 GB, 4/64 GB, and 6/64 GB and there is a microSD slot as well.The main camera is clearly the biggest selling point of the new phone. It’s native resolution is 48 MP, but due to its Quad-bayer filter it’s better used for outputting 12 MP images with large 1.6 μm pixels and real-time HDR. There is a secondary 5 MP shooter for AI purposes and Portrait Mode. The selfie snapper, tucked in the notch, is 13 MP.The battery has 4,000 mAh capacity and supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4. The Redmi Note 7 has a USB-C port and comes with a regular 5V/2A charger in the box, but you can add a fast-charging block in your package for just CNY10. This will enable 9V/2A charging options, which Lei Jun said will top up the phone from 0 to 100 in 1 hour 43 minutes.

Redmi Note 7

Initially introduced in Blue, Twilight Gold and Black, the Redmi Note 7 start from CNY999, but this is for the 3/32 GB variant. More storage means more money – CNY1,199 for the 4/64 GB phone and CNY1,399 for the 6/64 GB variant. This means that even the most generous option is under $210/€180. Pre-orders have already started, with shipments scheduled for January 15.